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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29160945">Blood On The Sofa</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverHalos88/pseuds/SilverHalos88'>SilverHalos88</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Time Limited Love [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blood, Crying, Elysian Field, Emotional, Exposed, F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Injury, Intense, Laser Screwdriver, No Regeneration, Secret love, Sonic Screwdriver, Tears, The Vault (Doctor Who), Timelord, dying, this one hits hard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:34:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,602</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29160945</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverHalos88/pseuds/SilverHalos88</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“The Doctor wakes up, finding himself back in the vault. With his head spinning and body aching, he sets about looking for answers. How did he and Missy survive the ambush by the Shadow Proclamation soldiers? And just what exactly did Missy have to do to secure their safety? Worrying that she has taken a step back on her path of change, the Doctor prepares to face her. Instead of anger, what he finds will fill his hearts with a sadness that threatens to overcome everything…”</p>
<p>This is the fifth part of my ongoing 12th Doctor/Missy story which sees them as an established couple trying to keep their relationship alive in spite of seemingly overwhelming forces trying to stop them. Fair warning, this one gets emotional.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Twelfth Doctor/Missy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Time Limited Love [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2103555</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Blood On The Sofa</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The darkness was a warm blanket, but he had spent enough time sleeping.<br/>With a start, the Doctor forced himself to fight back against the all-consuming, blissful blackness. He sat up, his consciousness coming back to him a few moments before the rest of his senses returned. It took him a second to realise where he was, and a second longer to remember where he had been before.<br/>Missy’s private beach, on her secret world. <br/>Everything came back to him quickly after that, though each memory that came back into the light was accompanied with a surge of pain shooting through his head. It didn’t matter, he had to remember what had happened. He and Missy had been having a wonderful time together, relaxing after a stressful heist that had seen them steal an ‘advanced’ neural interface device that had proven less advanced than they had hoped. He had just about gotten over the disappointment of that when the Shadow Proclamation had attacked. The last thing he remembered was looking at Missy as terror filled him. Then the energy missile had struck him, and everything went blank. Now he was here in the vault, waking up on the sofa with a headache that was thankfully beginning to recede, though he could already feel the bruise forming.<br/>Where was Missy? <br/>The question sat with a burning urgency in the forefront of his foggy mind, pushing him to desperately look around despite the lingering sense of nausea. His eyes were moving so quickly they almost skipped over the armchair that Missy was resting in without even registering her presence. As if sensing his gaze falling upon her, Missy’s eyes fluttered softly open. Her face was hard, her eyes a mixed of dark determination and exhaustion, like she was angry with herself succumbing to the feeling of tiredness. He had seen that look before. It was one of her battle masks, one of the looks that countless people had learned to fear, himself included. This was one of the looks she got when she burnt cities and destroyed lives, a merciless coldness to it that could allow her to look a person in the eye as the life faded out of them and not even flinch. He swallowed hard, a cold chill going doing his neck. It had been a long time since he had seen that look, and the longer he stared at her the further his hearts sunk. <br/>“Ah, sleeping beauty is finally awake. I was worried I’d have to grab another med kit.” She said softly. The Doctor glanced down, for the first time noticing the open emergency med kit lying on the floor next to the sofa. The kits were put together automatically by the TARDIS based on the occupants on board, designed around their unique biology in order to give those in need the best chance. He recognised a number of Gallifreyan medical tubes, like little mini shots of regeneration energy designed for different tissues, as well as a number of other assorted devices that wouldn’t look amiss in a human hospital. He looked down at himself. There were a number of rips and holes in his clothes, and as his senses returned he registered the feeling of fresh scaring in a few spots. The med kit had already done most of its work,<br/>“Missy, what happened? How did we get back to the vault?” He asked slowly. She had pulled on a simple T-shirt and some jeans, a deceptively simple look that might have fooled those unfamiliar with her. But not him. If what he suspected was true, he needed to pick his words carefully here. <br/>“When the jump-soldiers attacked they managed to hit you before I could activate the defences. I never thought I’d actually need them, but hey I’m a paranoid sort I suppose. Lots of lasers, lots of screaming. It was quite fun in a way. Pretty colours everywhere. Anyways, I managed to drag you back to the TARDIS and send the party crashers home. All in all a fun, if unexpected, end to the date.” She said, sounding darkly pleased with herself. Her killer instinct mask didn’t slip an inch.<br/>“What did you do to them?” The Doctor asked, failing to entirely hide his concern. Missy chucked something at him. He reached out and caught it, a small coin sized object with a fresh burn hole through its center.<br/>“That’s how they followed us. Devious, totally devious. I actually kind of respect that. But alas, it is no more. What you’re holding is a trans-chrono beacon. They must have fired it onto the TARDIS when we were escaping Delcion. Look at the little toddlers, they’re learning. It actually managed to mask itself from the TARDIS’s sensors for long enough for them to find us. That’s all sorted now. I’ve updated the scanning range so this won’t work again, hopefully, and without it they won’t be able to get back to my beach. Fancy another holiday?” She asked with a dark, desperate glee. <br/>“Missy, what did you do to the jump-soldiers?” The Doctor asked more pointedly. Missy rolled her eyes. <br/>“Don’t I even get a thank you for saving your life?” She said, pushing herself up from the armchair and walking over to the simple kitchen area. The sound of a tap filled the room as she poured herself a glass of water. <br/>“I’m sorry.” The Doctor said honestly. “Thank you for saving me, for saving us. I’m sorry I couldn’t help, but I need you tell me what happened to the soldiers. If you’ve taken a step back then we need to address that.” <br/>There it was, his concerns laid bare. It had been a long time since she had killed someone. They had spent a lot of time talking about that, about how sometimes death was unavoidable, but that it should never be the easiest option, and certainly not fun. He remembered how spirited she had gotten trying to convince him that sometimes, killing was not only necessary, but actually the best option. Maybe there was some merit to that, but he knew that if he ever truly accepted that he wouldn’t be the Doctor anymore. He didn’t always believe it, but he had to hold onto the hope that there was always another way, even when there wasn’t. That’s what helped him keep going at times, and one of the things he had tried so hard to get her to understand. It had taken years. He would never forget the moment when he had seen the beginnings of the idea taking root in her. It had been during a game of chess, of all things. Normally she would rush in, sacrificing pieces all over the place to try and score a quick victory. It was part of her style, regardless of whatever other strategies she was employing. This time however she had been more cautious, slow, pondering the fate of every piece before committing to its movement. When asked about her new style afterwards, she had simply said that she had ‘misjudged the worth of pawns’. In anyone else, in any other moment, that might have just been a passing statement, but he saw it for the signal that it was, the flicker of an ember in the dark that had been growing ever since. Now he couldn’t help worry that the fire had been quenched by a rain of violently spilt blood. <br/>“They got what they deserved. It’ll teach them not to go poking their noses where they’re not wanted.” Missy said without looking at him. A second later came the sound of the glass smashing in the sink. The Doctor bounced to his feet, focusing on her to stop the world from spinning. <br/>“Are you ok? Its ok to be mad if you’ve had a setback. We’ll handle it together. I promise I won’t leave you, but you need to tell me what happened.” The Doctor said as he crossed over to her. He placed his hand on her back as she dropped her head down low. Her hair was messy and wild, spread out like the wild snakes of Medusa. He heard her suck in a breath. When she turned, she looked like a different person entirely.<br/>“Doctor…” She muttered, tears running down both cheeks. The pain was etched into her face, plain as day. She collapsed into him as he wrapped his arms around her. He instantly felt how weak she seemed, as if she could barely stand. He didn’t want to imagine the emotional turmoil she was going through. He already knew what that was like and was in no hurry to go back to fighting that internal conflict, though he would do it in an instant if it could ease her burden. For a long moment they just stood there, Missy breathing deeply, crying without making a sound, but then a surge of adrenaline hit her. She took a step back and looked up at him, the mask of cold indifference back in place. <br/>“I have something to show you. Come on.” She said, her voice still weak. She grabbed his hand and led him to the central containment area. The Doctor watched as she knelt down. She still hadn’t answered his question, but he would humour her for now. She seemed to need this, and within a few seconds she had one of the floor panels up and was reaching down to grab something. The Doctor instantly recognised the object in her hand.<br/>It was a screwdriver.<br/>“Where did you get that?” He asked, looking at the device. Missy gave a small smile. <br/>“I’ve been making it. Its not finished yet.” She said.<br/>“Ok, but why?” He asked, choosing to ignore the question of where she was obtaining the materials for it. She reached forward, gesturing for him to take it.<br/>“It’s a gift, for you. It’s not finished yet, but I wanted to show you before…” She said, her voice trailing off as he took the screwdriver. He looked it over, stunned. The fact she had built it in isolation with most likely scavenged parts was remarkable. It was curved and silver looking, elegant in a way, much different to his recent designs. She had managed to match all the components he normally included, as well as the majority of his settings. But there were other things there too, thing he wouldn’t dream of adding.<br/>“Thank you Missy, really. But why does it have a laser module? A hyper lethal one at that? I would never use that.” He asked. <br/>“I know, but I think maybe its time you reconsider that. You don’t have to use it to kill things! You could blast open walls, or destroy tanks! All manner of stuff! Well once I finish it you could.” She said, a twinkle managing to appear in her eye despite her tiredness. <br/>“But, why? My current screwdriver is good enough.” He said. Missy dropped her eyes to the floor for a moment. When she looked back, her dark mask was in full effect.<br/>“Why do you think you stupid man! I don’t want you to die! You’re not the only one making plans you know! You need to pack more of a punch. And I’m not always going to be here to watch your back!” She yelled as she snatched back the unfinished sonic/laser screwdriver and turned away from him. <br/>“Missy I don’t know what to say.” The Doctor began. He was genuinely touched by the meaning behind her actions, even if the intent was a bit off. He was trying to figure out how to convey that when Missy doubled over. Pain erupted over her face as she reached out for the nearby bench to stabilize herself. It didn’t help, and she fell to her knees. “Missy!”<br/>“I’m ok, I’m fine.” She insisted as the Doctor rushed to her side. She sounded anything but, and couldn’t help but allow him to help her. Wrapping his arms around her, he helped her to her feet. By the time they had left the central containment area he was practically carrying her, the sonic/laser screwdriver falling from her limp hand as he helped to lay her down on the same sofa he had awoken on. She let out a groan of pain.<br/>That’s when he saw the blood seeping through her top.<br/>As gently as he could he pulled up her T-shirt. He was met by the sight of a blood-saturated vacuum dressing, half clinging to her righthand side. Vacuum dressings were designed to literally cling to a person’s body almost like a second skin, greatly aiding in emergency rapid healing as long as they remained intact. This one had begun a spectacular failure. He carefully pulled the dressing back, revealing a series of small blaster punctures wound. Even now, despite some kind of healing gel placed over them, they still slowly but steadily wept blood, the burnt flesh glistening beneath the thick red liquid.<br/>Suddenly it all made sense.<br/>The mask she had worn was her way of keeping herself together. Her focus must have been on him. Of course it had been on him. She must have been entirely committed to saving him when the jump-soldiers had attacked, taking hits herself in order to drag him to safety. The dressing and the medical gel had been hastily applied, pulled from the Gallifreyan med kit quickly as the bare minimum needed to keep herself going while she used the rest of the supplies on him. She must have been in pain this entire time. Incredible pain. He didn’t know how she had kept going this long, but now it was taking its toll. <br/>“You idiot, you utter fool.” He said as he urgently pushed down on the dressing and pulled out his sonic screwdriver, trying to boost its sealing effect. He glanced down at the med kit on the floor. Most of the stuff he’d need was already gone. She was so pale, her eyes scrunched up as she tried to hide the pain she was in. <br/>“I was tempted you know, so tempted.” She muttered as the Doctor grasped at the various vials and supplies. <br/>“Don’t talk, save your strength.” He said, but she placed her hand on his arm. Fresh tears were staining her cheeks.<br/>“I wanted to. You have no idea how much I wanted to. It would have been so easy, just to redirect the psychic cannons and ordered them to kill them. Kill them all, and not just because they hurt you. I just wanted to, so much. How can I still want that? I thought I was getting better.” She said in between increasingly shallow breaths.<br/>“It doesn’t matter right now. You’re going to get through this and then we can talk about whatever you want.” The Doctor said, swallowing a lump in his throat. He felt her pulse. It was like the slower her hearts beat the more his sped up in response.<br/>“I have to tell you, I have to, you have to know! I let the soldiers go. Hurt them, made them bleed, but I left them alive. I did it because I wanted you to be proud of me. Don’t you see? I still wanted to hurt them, I hated letting them go. I’m still that monster.” She said, her lip quivering as the mental hurt matched her physical pain, maybe even exceeded it. Her eyes were wide with fear now as she stared up into the distance, but he knew it wasn’t from the idea of death. He touched her cheek, making her eyes match his.<br/>“You’re not a monster Missy, not anymore. You did the right thing, that’s what’s important. We can work on the reasoning later. You did it, and you’re going to be around to do it again. Don’t leave me.” The final sentence escaped his lips before he could stop it. He run his blood-soaked hands through his hair, trying to think, trying to come up something, anything. Clutching at straws, he begun mixing the remainers of the vials together, filtering them through various compound meshes. Just focus, he told himself over again. Ignore the feeling of creeping dread surging from his core.<br/>“Don’t go all sentimental on me.” She tried to joke, but it was a joyless sound, one that escaped from lips that were quickly losing their colour. The Doctor forced a smile for her as he poured one of the combined vials onto her wounds. There was barely any reaction, just a slight fizzle.<br/>“I always be sentimental. Come on, talk to me, stay awake.” He pleaded with her. “Where are we going to go next? We can even revisit some old places again if you like.” She smiled at that.<br/>“Like those markets on Needlepoint Rock.” She said, her voice fading out. She was beginning to lose her grasp on consciousness. The only thing that kept her awake was the pain as it fought against the numbness spreading through her. <br/>“Yes, if you like.” The Doctor said without looking at her. The vacuum dressing was failing more now. He zapped it again with his screwdriver, but the seals were beginning to disintegrate. Missy forced a smile.<br/>“I have a confession. I’ve been to those markets a few times. I didn’t want to tell you, you were so excited.” She rambled. The Doctor rubbed away a tear. Focus! If he could just force a reaction between the two compounds… <br/>“Its ok, I don’t mind. Just…”<br/>There it was.<br/>The first sign of it had stolen the words from him. It was the flicker of death, there was no other way of putting it. The cells around her wound were too far gone, the damage tiggering a cascade effect that was slowly shutting down the rest of her system. He could feel the energy being released from her tissues as they begun to break down, like a fire burning beneath her skin. It was Timelord necrosis, the final consumption of their bodies when an individual reached the cellular block that prevented their regeneration. She was at the end of her regeneration cycle. That was impossible, that had to be impossible. Her next regeneration was already out there! He had seen it! None of it made sense, but there was one thing that was clear; if he didn’t find a way to stop the process now, it would be too late.<br/>“Fight it Missy, fight it!” He said, slathering the last mixed vial on her wounds. Missy’s eyes sprung open, as if a surge of adrenaline had shot through her. She grabbed his shoulders.<br/>“Secret compartment… Elysian… Field… Generator…Unfinished…” Missy said, fighting to get her words out. She stared at him a moment longer, as is she was trying to push a thought into his mind. But then the alertness faded from her eyes, leaving them dull and barely alive. She fell back to the sofa, eyes closed and now completely unconscious. <br/>“Missy…” The Doctor muttered, trying to fight of the shock, the fear. Instead he focused on the urgency. Jumping to his feet, he started running. <br/>Hold on Missy, he thought as he pushed himself as hard as he could. Hold on.</p>
<p>The sound of hurried footsteps filled the forgotten staircase that led down to the vault. The lower they got the more the pace quickened, descending into the darkness as if chased by the shadows themselves. The footsteps only slowed when they came to the small antechamber that housed the door of the vault. The door that was now clearly ajar. The panic was almost palatable. This is what it had always been coming to. He had known it right from the start, right from the moment this insane idea had been put into motion. The Mistress was gone, having finally put into action whatever plan she had clearly been working on for who knows how long. They had been fools to think they could contain her, and now the universe was going to suffer for it.<br/>That’s when he froze.<br/>There were voices coming from within, voices he recognised. Slowly, stealthily, he took a step forward, straining his ears to listen. What he heard sent a shiver of horror through him. The voices, they were talking about adventures they had been, adventures they would go on. That would be alarming enough, but it was what else was carried in their voices. It was subtle but unmistakable once you knew what you were listening for.<br/>Pushing the door of the vault open, he carefully stepped inside.<br/>“What the hell is going on?” Nardole said as he surveyed the scene. There before him was the Doctor, sitting on a small stool and surrounded by two open med kits and dozens of bloodied bandages and rags. And there on the sofa, her eyes barely open, was Missy. She looked pale and ghostly, as if she were one drop of blood away from either life or death. The look on the Doctor’s face made it clear how perilous her situation remained, but that’s not what took Nardole’s attention. It was the look in their eyes and the way they gently held each other’s hand. It was in the energy that swirled around them as clear as the dust storm from a tornado, at once both magnificent and terrifying. It was in the spark that sat between them even now, raw and unhidden even in this moment of exposure. There was nothing else to say.<br/>Their secret was out.</p>
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